A problem which has been considered to be virtually insolvable in the past is that of providing apparatus with a practical keyboard so as to enable Chinese and Japanese characters, and the like, to be typed at practical speeds. Linguistic and word processor experts have been working on various complex keyboard arrangements and coding schemes in an effort to solve the problem. However, a major stumbling block in producing a computer-readable Chinese code is that of providing an efficient means for entering data to select the Chinese symbols which represent the various words.
A system has been developed at Cornell University by Paul L. King which uses a twelve digit keyboard to enter 10,000 Chinese characters. Each digit describes a basic shape used in Chinese characters in one of four quadrants into which all of the characters are divided. By selecting up to four keys, an operator can identify an entire character. A system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,305 which issued Nov. 20, 1984 in the name of the present invention in which, and in a manner similar in some respects to the King system, a simple keyboard is used so that characters may be selected on a phonetic basis. However, unlike the King system no attempt is made in the system of the patent to form the characters on a quadrant basis. Instead, unless precise tones are selected, all characters corresponding to the phonetic selection initiated by the operator, but having different meanings, are displayed, so that the operator may make a manual selection of the proper characters from the displayed group.
The system of the present invention represents an even simpler approach to the problem than was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,305. In the system of the invention, a word processor using a standard United States keyboard is provided which enabled any desired Chinese character to be selected by the phonetic identification of the consonant and vowel of the word represented by the character, and by the identification of the first and last calligraphic stroke of the character. Specifically, for each word, a selected key in a first group of standard letter keys of the keyboard is operated to constitute a phonetic selection of the consonant of the desired word; a selected key in a second group of standard letter keys of the keyboard is then operated to constitute a phonetic selection of the vowel of the desired word; and selected symbol keys on the standard keyboard are then operated to select the first and last calligraphic strokes of the desired character, the standard symbol keys simulating the shape of the first and last calligraphic strokes.
It has been determined that virtually all Chinese characters may be individually identified by phonetically identifying the consonant and vowel of the word represented by any particular character, and then by identifying the first and last calligraphic strokes of the character. No further information is required in order to identify any individual character.
It has also been observed that the symbol keys on a standard United States keyboard simulate the shapes of the first and last calligraphic strokes of the Chinese characters. This enables anyone familiar with the Chinese characters to select the symbol keys corresponding to the first and last calligraphic strokes of any desired character.
Accordingly, in the practice of the present invention, a word processor is provided having a dictionary stored in its memory which enables the processor to display selected Chinese characters on its screen when the memory is selectively addressed by the selective actuation of the keys of the keyboard.
The operator, who is familiar with Chinese characters, then operates a first letter key on the standard keyboard which is the phonetic equivalent of the consonant of the word represented by the desired character; the operator then operates the letter key which is the phonetic equivalent of the vowel of the word; the operator then operates the symbol key of the standard keyboard which simulates the shape of the first calligraphic stroke of the desired character; and the operator then operates the symbol key of the standard keyboard which simulates the shape of the last calligraphic stroke of the desired character.
As mentioned above, the information described in the preceding paragraph is all that is required to identify any individual character. Accordingly, as the four selected keys of the keyboard are operated in the selected sequence, a corresponding memory cell in the memory of the processor is addressed, and the desired character is displayed on the screen. Unlike the system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,305, the desired character is displayed by itself, instead of being part of a number of characters displayed on the screen, and there is no need for the operator to select the desired character from the group of displayed characters.